CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns’ 2024 season hasn’t gone as planned, which is a big part of why they’re picking No. 2 overall and why much of the team’s long-term potential is being discounted. question.
That’s not to say there haven’t been some positives from the season, and a few players have stood out – or at least shown they have a role to play as this team enters its next phase .
You know the main players like Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward and Jerry Jeudy. Some other unheralded players have shown they deserve a role on this roster in 2025.
NFL Playoff Preview: Find everything you need to know for the playoff season with our NFL playoff guide.
Here are some names:
Jerome Ford
He’s not the answer as a running back, but he’s part of the answer.
The Browns offense has lacked explosive plays this season and when they made them, it was Jeudy or Ford with the ball. Ford had four of the nine longest offensive plays in 2024 – Jeudy had three and the other two were passes to Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman – and he and Jeudy had the four longest offensive plays this season.
Running back is an area the Browns need to invest in, whether in free agency, the draft or both. Running the ball is cool again in the NFL and the offense and Kevin Stefanski have strayed too far from their roots, ranking 23rd in rushing yards per play.
Ford, a 2022 fifth-round pick, has always had ups and downs in his game and isn’t necessarily a throwback, but his ability to cut and go in the run game and make plays to catch the ball makes him a valuable asset in the running back room, especially since he has one year left on his rookie contract. He will count $3,405,537 against the 2025 cap, a reasonable number for one of the few players currently on the roster who can turn a handoff or short pass into a big gain.
Jordan Hicks
Browns linebacker Jordan Hicks provided stability and leadership on defense.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
The 32-year-old linebacker was one of the Browns’ most reliable defenders when he was on the field. He missed five games this season, but former Eagles Super Bowl champion and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz still finished third on the team in tackles and had two sacks.
More importantly, he filled the leadership void left by the departure of Anthony Walker Jr. in free agency last offseason, and proved versatile and reliable after Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was lost for the season in of Week 8 against Baltimore.
The Browns have turned to a number of young linebackers to help fill the void left by Owusu-Koramoah, but it’s Hicks who has been a consistent presence throughout the year, and his $4.158 million cap hit dollars for 2025 is well worth having in the locker room. and in the middle of the defense.
Jack Conklin
Browns right tackle Jack Conklin reminded people why he was such a coveted free agent.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
There is perhaps no better example of a player solidifying his value than Conklin last season. The Browns managed to do without him in 2023 thanks to the solid play of then-rookie Dawand Jones after Conklin was lost for the season in Week 1. But Jones struggled to return from his own late injury. season this season and the offensive line. it was a disaster.
Conklin, whose return was delayed due to a hamstring injury, finally managed to return in Week 6 in Philadelphia and played every snap in 11 of the remaining 12 games, including every snap from week 8.
His high level of play doesn’t come cheap. He signed a four-year extension near the end of the 2022 season and has a cap hit of $19,114,059 in 2025 and $19.467 million in 2026. With no guaranteed money, it seems likely the Browns will renegotiate his deal if the Browns want to keep their 30-year contract. -former anchor on the right side, one of general manager Andrew Berry’s first and most successful free agent signings.
With questions at left tackle and left guard Joel Bitonio’s future still uncertain, creating more holes on the line doesn’t seem wise, especially if the Browns bring in a rookie quarterback at some point next season .
Corey Bojorquez
In a season where the offense was very bad, at least the punter was very good.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
The Browns have had one of the worst offenses in the league in 2024, so their punter has had plenty of opportunities to prove his worth.
Bojorquez was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate and proved to be a valuable weapon. He helped set up a decisive safety in Jacksonville in Week 2 and regularly threw punts that died or went out of bounds before reaching the end zone, or gave his units cover a chance to take them down.
The Browns’ special teams have been in the tank for most of the season, but Bojorquez was a bright spot and should continue to provide the defense with an edge in field position next season as well.
Free trial of the Football Insider newsletter: Take a minute and sign up for a free trial from our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com’s Browns reporters.
